Rib rail for cotton gins



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,676

J. BEHLE RIB RAIL Fon COTTON 6111s Filed may s, 1928 Patented lian. l, i929,

FFATES r ri JOSEPH BEHLE, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MURRAY COMPANY, OIE' DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS. i

.RIB RAIL FOR COTTON GINS.

Application filed May 5,

My invention is a composite rib'rail of metal and wood, designed to utilize the strength and permanence of metal, as the basis of the rail together with the advantages of wood to receive the securing means for the several ribs, and more specifically is a slotted metal rib rail having a core preferably of wood the metal rib being of hollow drawn or cold rolled steel, the combination with the hollow steel rib of the wooden core rendering it unnecssary to machine any part of the interior or slot of the metal rib as has heretofore been practically necessary in slotted metal rib rails employing a bolt and nut as the means for fastening the ribs along the slotted rail, in order to provide opposed frictional surfaces suiciently smooth to ensure an immovable frictional engagement to hold the ginning ribs securely and permanently in adjusted position.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gin embodying my improvement;

Figure 2 is an elevation of a part of the saw shaft and saws, with ribs mounted upon the composite rails;

Figure 3 is broken detail of parts of the upper and lower rails, with ribs mounted thereon;

Figure t is a cross-section on line t-t of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail of a lowerrail.

Figure 1 is on a smaller scale than the other figures.

Figure 2 is on a smaller scale than Figures 3, 4 and 5.

I have shown my invention as applied to a well known type of gin, such as is shown in United States patent to Henry No. 1,210,- 646, dated January 2, 1917. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is applicable to any gin in which ginning ribs and saws are employed, whether employing one set of ribs as in Patent 1,210,646, or two sets of ribs as in the so-called huller gins, and whether employed upon seed cotton or upon linters. As the invention is entirely concerned with the ginning ribs and rib rails, it will be unnecessary herein to do more than indicate, in the most general way, the main elements of the gin shown in Figure l. In the drawings, l is the frame of the gin, 2 is the saw shaft, 3 the saws. Above the saws is the roll-box 4 through 1928. Serial No. 275,594.

which the cotton is introduced into the machine. The air blast 5, in the example shown in Figure 1, discharges air under compression, received from the air ducts 6, against the teeth of the rotating saws 3 and frees the cotton, blowing it into the cotton duct 7 and so out of the gin.

rlhe gin ribs A, one of which lies alongside each saw and between adjacent saws, are of any desired shape and construction and are supported at their opposite ends by my improved rib rails B. Rails B are shaped in any cross-sectional form that may be necessary or desirable according to the place in which they and the ribs are to be mounted in a particular gin. I have illustrated in the drawings a rail square in crosssection, but the rail may be drawn or rolled i1111 other shapes both externally and interna y.

Along one side of the rail, B, an even surface b, is desirable, upon which the ends, a,

of the ribs A may seat in accurate alignment. These ends, fr., are formed as a foot or seat (see Fig. 2) having an aperture, a', prefrenders the composite rail B C in eifect a` unitary structure, the longitudinal relations of its two parts being finally fixed when the coreis forced to place. The surface of the core C which is exposed at the slot b is, as I have stated, preferably flush with the outer seating surface, b, of the rail, and upon this seating surface are positioned the several ribs, the assembly man training the several ribs to individual position, and securing them in place by a pin or bolt aQ, preferably screw threaded at its point and having a slotted head, designed to enter the countersink w in the end or foot, a, of a rib. In this manner the several ribs are trained and exactly positioned by a skilled workman, and,v when the assembly is complete, the several ribs of the grate-fall are per- ,.80 erably countersunk, through which a pin or may be passed to secure the rib end manently liXed in their several designed positions along the rib rails, above and below, by an anchoring member, namely, the core C, which co-relatesa multiplicity of ribs, so that it is physically impossible for the relative position of the several ribs along the rib rail to be altered, except by design.

In Figure 5 is a. cross-section of a rib rail, showing a preferred form of seating surface, b, especially desirable in connection with the lower rail, upon which the ribs are vertically erected. In this case, the lower edge of the seatis provided with an elevated guide rim bf', against which the ends, a, of the ribs may be set, accurately positioning the rib verticall and supporting it during the process of ongitudinal adjustment and fastening along the rail.

- I have used the word Ibolt7 in this specification and claims in its generic sense, of a connector, the word covering any connector,'driven, by screw threads or otherwise, into the core.

I have described the anchor core C, to receive the connecting means, as preferably of woo'd,--it is obvious however that other material having the characteristics of wood, necessary for the intended use, namely, penetrability by wood boring tools, wood screws and the like, may be substituted for the material which I prefer, namely, wood, and that such substances would be within the scope of my invention.

The guide rim b is of lgreat utility in practical assembly, since it relieves the assembly man entirely of the duty of positioning the rib vertically or supporting it in true vertical position while the rib is being positioned longitudinally.

I claim:

l. A hollow, metal cross rail for ginning rib support, having a slotted seat along one side to receive ginning rib ends and an anchor core forced within the hollow of the metal rail, to receive securing bolts to connect ribs and rail. v

2. In a cotton gin, a grate fall of hollow metal cross rails, having slotted seats along one side for the ends of ginning ribs; anchor cores forced within the hollows of the metal rails; ginning ribs, connecting the composite rails, adjusted along the rails; screw threaded bolts passing through apertures in the rib ends and the rail slots, connecting the several ribs with the anchor core of each rail.

3. In a cotton gin; a grate fall of hollow metal cross rails, having slotted seats along one side for the ends ofthe ginning ribs, the seat of the lower rail having a guide rim to position the ribs vertically; anchor cores forced within the hollows of the metal rail; ginning ribs, connecting the composite rails, adjusted along the rails; bolts, passing through apertures in the rib ends and the rail slots, connecting the several ribs with the anchor core of each rail.

Signed at Dallas, Texas, this 30th day of April, 1928.

JOSEPH BEHLE. 

